How much do Naked and Afraid contestants make? Here's what we know

Naked and Afraid is returning with season 17, premiering exclusively on Discovery Channel on Sunday, February 18, 2024. In the previous seasons, viewers have seen contestants striving to survive in some of the most grueling environments on earth. The show displays the great value of teamwork in battling brutal conditions.

With 17 seasons under its belt, fans are familiar with the show’s format: Two survivalists, typically a man and a woman, are left in a challenging location with no clothes, where they must survive for 21 days. The contestants work together as a team as they hunt for food, build shelter, and find fresh water to drink.

In a previous interview with People Magazine, Naked and Afraid XL participants Alyssa Ballestero and Stacey Lee Osorio answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the show. One of them was whether contestants get paid for putting themselves through such gruesome experiences.

The survivalists revealed that while contestants receive a stipend, their motivation is primarily driven by experience.

---

How much do contestants make on Naked and Afraid?

While commenting on the money factor, Alyssa Ballestero and Stacey Lee Osorio told People Magazine in 2022:

“Yes (we get paid), but just a few thousand dollars. It's all about the experience, not the cash.”

Furthermore, Kristi Russell, the casting director of the show, discussed the financial aspect during an interview with Channel Guide Magazine in 2015. Russell noted that the show considers the fact that they are keeping the contestants away from their daily lives and jobs, which is why they provide a weekly stipend to compensate for this inconvenience. The casting director explained:

“We’re taking them away from their job, and we realize that and so we give them a weekly stipend to compensate for their lost wages.”

---

What to expect from Naked and Afraid season 17?

In the official description shared by Disney in a press release, the makers teased:

“Throughout the series, the participants must overcome their personal struggles and face the raw brutality of nature without easy access to food, water, or clothing.”

Dropping has teased hints about the premiere episode of the upcoming season of Naked and Afraid, revealing that the survivalists will take up life-threatening risks in their quests for food as they endure 21 days in South Africa. The press release added:

“In the premiere episode, a hunter and a farmer pool their knowledge as they attempt to survive 21 days in South Africa. But when the wildlife proves too stealthy to hunt, the survivalists take a life-threatening risk for food.”

In addition to this, the makers have also teased the return of two veteran fan-favorite survivalists, who will mentor two newcomers in the all-women tribe’s challenge set to take place in Colombia.

While the identity of the veterans remains undisclosed, the makers highlight the challenges the survivalists will face this season, including scarce food resources and mosquito-infested areas. The official synopsis added:

“A pair of Naked and Afraid critics use their armchair survival knowledge to attempt to make it through a 14-day fan challenge, and a survivalist must cope with menstruation in the middle of the African bush. Scarce food resources and mosquito-infested tropics are just the beginning of what lies ahead for these survivalists.”

---

Naked and Afraid season 17 premieres on Sunday, February 18 at 8 pm ET/PT on the Discovery Channel. The newest season can also be streamed on multiple streaming platforms, including Discovery+, Hulu, Fubo TV, and DirecTV Stream.